Epicurious Predicts Top 10 Food Trends for 2010

by Tanya Steel

on 11/30/09 at 03:19 PM

It's that time of year again. As we did for 2008 & 2009, we've compiled our list of food trends to come in 2010. Our forecasts are divided into Front Burner (those things you're likely to see next year) and Back Burner (trends that have peaked and are receding in popularity). Disagree with us? After reading the list, tell us what you think and what you foresee for this new decade.

DISHFront Burner:Fried ChickenWith its crispy skin, moist meat, luxurious flavor and inexpensive price tag, what's not to love? Top chefs agree: Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant has fried chicken night, New York's pig heaven Hill Country is set to open a fried chicken spinoff, and 2009's hottest chef, David Chang, serves the dish in a high/low style at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Back Burner:BurgersWith as many haute burger stands flooding the country as there are McD's, we've reached meat saturation. (Sorry Hubert.)

Back Burner: Mini cupcakes As we've watched our wallets shrink, so too have cupcakes, but these bite-sized icing bombes just leave us feeling unsatisfied and on jittery sugar highs.

INGREDIENTFront Burner: LambAre ewe as much a fan as we? Lean, often grass-fed, and nutrient- and flavor-packed, this is meat that can be dressed up (loin) or down (burgers). Eat Me Daily agrees: "Lamb is the new pork, lamb neck is the new bacon!"

Back Burner:PorkWe love pork, but when every corner cafe has a bacon-wrapped item on the menu, it's time for something new.

Back Burner: Dining on Omega 3sWe all know how important Omega 3 fatty acids are, but we also know that too much mercury, found in Omega 3-rich fish like tilefish, swordfish, king mackerel, and grouper, can make you sick. (Thank you Jeremy Piven.) That, coupled with the overfishing of so many varieties, makes the pill form easier to swallow.

PROFESSIONFront Burner: ButcherHipsters have moved from farming to butchery, embracing becoming one with their food, and trading in their plow for a good meat hook: Tom Mylan is the poster boy for this trend. As The New York Times' Kim Severson wrote in Young Butchers Gain Rock Star Status in the Food World, "With their swinging scabbards, muscled forearms and constant proximity to flesh, butchers have the raw, emotional appeal of an indie band. They turn death into life, in the form of a really good skirt steak."

And celebrity blogger Julie Powell (of Julie & Julia fame) is about to publish Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession, detailing her butchery exploits.

Back Burner: MixologistWe love inventive cocktails but are growing weary of the Las Vegas style over-the-top theatrics. Just pour us a drink with good ingredients.

DRINKFront Burner: Homemade BeerMarrying the rebirth of microbrews and the popularity of homemade wines, hosts who want a real house beer are going hyperlocal with beer kits such as Cooper's and Rogue Brutal Bitter.

Back Burner: Mad-Science CocktailsAfter all the smoke and mirrors, these crazy cocktails made with essence of bubblegum or pulverized eye of newt are just too precious, expensive, and silly.

CITYFront Burner: VancouverBefore the Olympics was a glimmer in the mayor's eye, Vancouver was turning into an amazing food city, with some of the world's best Japanese and Thai fare, stunning and sustainable seafood restaurants such as C Restaurant and Blue Water Cafe, terrific food markets like Granville Island Public Market and now, some delicious local wines.

Back Burner: BarcelonaAs the leading edge of first the tapas movement and then molecular gastronomy, this city has jumped the shark. While it will always have stellar wines, produce, and tapas bars, many of the restaurants are overpriced and underwhelming. There, we said it.

ENTERTAINING TRENDFront Burner: PotlucksWith wallets and schedules tight, having guests bring a specialty reduces the burden on the host and lets your friends show off their own Iron Chef culinary skills.

Back Burner: Formal Dinners at HomeElaborate multicourse meals feel off-base in today's economic climate. The trendiest hosts are now into unpretentious entertaining that focuses on exciting food, not bells and whistles.

SEX SYMBOLFront Burner:Sam KassThe baby-faced White House's Food Initiative Coordinator has a full plate: Among his duties are leading official policy to encourage sustainable and healthy eating habits in our country's school children, running the First Family's garden, and oh yeah, cooking daily at the White House. But this 28-year-old is also a hot dish himself.

Back Burner: Curtis StoneHe has shown the Biggest Losers, as well as the country, how to eat healthfully and deliciously, and he'll always have a place in our heart. But we'd like to see him be a bit more creative in his suggestions as it's easy to fall off your diet wagon if you're bored of the same ole grilled chicken or fish.

Fried chicken made well is unbelievably good, but I am not a fan of whoopie pies, but I am ahead of the curve on potlucks, and maybe the trend toward homemade beer will encourage my husband to break out the kit I ordered him 2 years ago!

MakingWhoopies
07:41:34 AM on
04/06/10

So...we might argue the "staple of the south" statement, but you get NO argument from us about the whoopie pie being a HOT food item for 2010!

You didn't mention Nancy Griffin's Making Whoopies: The Official Whoopie Pie Book!! It will be released this summer (June 2010) by Down East Books. We love whoopie pies!

You mention the importance of "good ingredients" in your Back Burner Mixologist item, so I am very surprised that in your Fish item you advocate it is easier to pop Omega-3 pills, instead of listing other food sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.

reb2000
01:36:30 PM on
01/12/10

Hmmm, cupcakes leave you feeling sugar-jittery, but whoopie pies, made with 'marshmellow creme' are a "dream come true"? Yuck. You may be right about them becoming a trend, but it has a lot more to do with fads and the need for the next new thing than with any inherent quality. You mention ones made with carrot cake, implying that the marshmallow version isn't quite so dreamy after all. What, then, is the difference between this and a cupcake, other than the frosting being in the middle, not on top?

andyfoodie
11:21:18 PM on
01/03/10

I would not go so far as to say that burgers will be completely on a back burner. I would say they will come with a definite ethnic touch. A place I know where they serve such ethnic burgers is Graffiti in East Village in NYC. They come, marinated like kebabs and are served with Chiptole mayonnaise. Chef Mehta, one of the runner’s up of the reality show ‘The Next Iron Chef’, owns this restaurant. Chefs like Chef Mehta have worked at establishing such innovative trends. No wonder NYC is a paradise for foodies.

candicebond
09:18:44 AM on
12/30/09

I think that we'll see a return to the great outdoors. Last summer was cool and damp. We've been stuck inside braising everthing for a while. Time to return to the backyard BBQ for entertaining. Grilled meats instead of things that take hours to cook. I see a return to simpler, lighter coctails: wine sprizers, gin and tonics, lemonades (spiked or not). Light, lime-flavoured beers will stay in.

As for celebrities, keep an eye out for Rob Feenie. The BC chef (and Iron Chef winner) will be everywhere during the Olympics.

And nobody is giving up on bacon anytime soon!

crpaulk
11:53:00 AM on
12/27/09

I'm thinking the newest trend (in light of recent changes in policy) is going to be decent airplane dining. Whether we bring it from home or pick it up at the airport, we need a change from the microwave cheeseburgers and overly starchy "snack packs" being offered for sale on the airlines. Now having to spend more time in line, along with the fact we will be "restricted" to our seats- we'll need something to appease us. Funny- I'm pretty sure this new guy was in his seat........Oh well- if it was up to me, we'd all bring goodies from home to share on the plane, check out a Louisville slugger to all passengers, and get rid of all the security.

Erin222
11:16:02 AM on
12/26/09

What I'm noticing isn't a specific year's trend; it is more like a quite revolution of people assuming personal and social responsibility--of in essence taking back control of one's life and surroundings, and that includes food choices. Yes, I see that it's about the health trend, the "local food" trend, and ways of eating like Ayurveda but is not cultural specific. This growing number of people don't follow trends whether led by the White House, Al Gore, KFS or other entities, rather it is a way of being that overcomes food traditions for more important purposes. Christmas cookies, mac & cheese, and most domestic and wild life aren't on their menus. It can be challenging. I expect chefs and restaurant folks should find this challenging as well, profitably and otherwise. Wishing all a Happy New Year!

AmandaMacArthur
05:08:51 PM on
12/21/09

Meatballs cooked in bacon fat. That's all I have to say. TREND #11. POW!

furukama
04:04:01 PM on
12/20/09

Great post! But: I can't find the 10th trend. Or did you deliberately leave it out to suggest that trend #10 is: not thinking or talking about food anymore and just enjoying the rich tastes of the 9 trends you mentioned?

GlasierD
04:34:31 AM on
12/07/09

I completely agree with Health trend that is mentioned here. People need to start taking obesity and other health conditions far more seriously than they do now. I think it’s time people turned to the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda, which emphasizes on ‘balanced food with controlled indulgence’. I have switched to recipes which follow this concept of moderation. You will find these recipes in a book called “Mantra: The rules of indulgence”. Chef Mehta, the author of this book, has compiled some wonderful recipes, which are delicious and healthy too. I think it’s time people take Ayurveda a little more seriously. Chef Mehta did not stop at just publishing a book about rules of indulgence but also applies it in his restaurant called Graffiti. His restaurant offers a gluten free menu. People who prefer some healthy and tasty meal must visit Graffiti for sure.

jfain
09:21:31 AM on
12/02/09

Not personally a fan of fried chicken so I think I'll stick with the burgers.

I totally agree with the whoopie pies. I've been seeing them everywhere and was thinking of trying to convert a recipe to gluten free.

I hope you are right about the lamb because I bought a whole lamb and not have it sitting in my freezer. I could use some ideas.

If people will start eating healthily I don't care what you call it. I would LOVE that but it's not happening in Ohio I can tell you that.

I would take the butcher over the mixologist. All those mixed cocktails have WAY too much sugar for my taste. I can't stand sticky sweet cocktails. I make my own drinks.

I think you must also be right about the cocktails vs formal dinners. Even the one sit down dinner I did this year wasn't that formal and didn't have as many courses as it might have at one time. I have been doing a lot more potlucks.

I'm not so familiar with Sam Kass that I can give an opinion but I do agree there should be more creativity used when putting together healthy recipes. How can anyone stick to a diet of grilled chicken and steamed broccoli?

Babbato
08:15:08 AM on
12/02/09

Hmm, fried chicken huh? It's interesting to read that the health trend will be to eat an immunity-building diet, yet fried chicken will be the new dish trend. I know fried chicken is finding its way onto more menus. But, I don't eat fried chicken, probably because my mom never fried food for us.

Now whoopie pies - there's a trend I like!

chefjohn48
10:55:03 PM on
12/01/09

Boy did you miss the mark! You say pork is out and all you have to support that is the proliferation of bacon on menus? This tells me you know nothing of the applications of this wonderful meat but are in tune with fast food. Shame on you.

Very smart to point out the rise in professional butchers - one of the hottest new restaurants where I live (New Orleans) is Cochon Butcher, and I've been seeing a lot of locally-butchered meats on our menus here.

Pork is still a centerpiece of Cajun cooking, though.

Two "Front Burner" items that mystify me: I don't know why anyone makes their own beer - sterilizing bottles is such a hassle, and there are so many great microbrews around. Also I'll take a cupcake, in any size, on any day, over a whoopie pie!

Thanks for pointing out the importance of food in an immunity-building diet - I'm headed out to buy Chef La Puma's book now. I hope we all get to where we see food as both pleasurable and healthful.

blubarry
10:09:10 AM on
12/01/09

I have done three potlucks in the last week alone, and those old electric warming trays will definitely make a resurgence I think. They helped us serve potluck fare to 60 people and it was all at perfect temperature!

Also, best whoopie pies I ever had were at the Norfolk NY fire department bbq last summer. Close second are the ginger and marshmallow cream cheese variation made by the Amish family that comes to the Potsdam farmer's market on Saturdays.

serena72
08:48:16 AM on
12/01/09

Interesting. I disagree with lamb for the same reason I agree with the potluck. Who can afford lamb? Even the "cheap" cuts are steep. I can buy a huge hunk o' pork shoulder for under $10, smoke it or roast it, and turn it into several meals. American lamb? I wish!

I was surprised by the whoopie pie prediction as well. While I agree that cupcakes are overdone and frequently not all that good, whoopie pies have pretty limited appeal. The reason cupcakes had such a renaissance was that we all grew up with them. Not so with whoopie pies. Having only tried them as an adult, I find them to be cloying and unappealing.

kylster1
08:13:07 AM on
12/01/09

it's good to see your point on butchers- i hope we see more independent butchers out there. too many had to close their doors back in the 80's and early 90's. remember the sawdust floors? :)

AlysO
11:16:55 PM on
11/30/09

I don't think that bacon is going away anytime soon.
BC wines have been fabulous for a long time. Glad you noticed.
On the other hand I think I'll pass on the whoopie pies.

The rest of it may well be true. :-)

culinarykitten
04:01:01 PM on
11/30/09

ok...my two cents...

fried chicken - I couldn't agree more and found it ironic that KFC spent so much money this past year to launch a sub-par grilled chicken product instead of embracing its flagship to take advantage of fried chicken's surge in popularity;

pork - last year I recall food writers here in Portland predicting that bacon was last year's news. If anything, it is even bigger now. I think that this will only continue, and become more embedded into the mainstream, especially with the rising popularity of butchers who sell and butcher 1/2 pigs..

regarding mixologists and overwrought cocktails.. amen. as we see a return to simple, classic cocktails, there more of a focus on those that actually taste good, as opposed to those that just look good on paper.